I like basketball and food. Join me on my journey through life. With love, Dave.

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Monthly Archives: July 2016

If I ever come off as a huge terd for anything that I post here, please call me out for it. I realize that my previous post wasn’t exactly feel-good, and wasn’t entirely warranted. As a candid commenter noted, every airline has the same policy that I was adamantly condemning. Does that make the policy morally correct? No. Were my frustrations unfairly targeting only one airline? Yep. Do you like reading about people moaning and groaning online? Probably not… so I’ll keep my grievances to myself for now, and share only what might actually be useful and positive for any viewers who pass by.

I was going to delete the previous post, but instead figured I’d leave it up as a valuable life lesson. That being, don’t be an ass, and take criticism as a means for improvement rather than a personal attack. Not all critiques are valid, but separate your personal feelings from the situation to determine when your critic might have a valid point. That’s all for now. Be easy.

So I normally like to keep posts on here chill and positive, but I just had to speak out and share this experience, in an earnest yet likely fruitless attempt to adjust the policies of the careless corporate giant that is Delta Airlines. If the following strikes any chords for you, please share in any way possible to help spread this message. While I’m now [very thankfully] in the comfort of my apartment, I wrote the following open letter earlier this afternoon, at a loss for things to do on the freezing cold Delta air plane, which had possessed a rather poor selection of entertainment and no complimentary wifi… Anyway, here goes my rant.

…

Well, Delta, you’ve really outdone yourself. You’ve succeeded in killing [in horrendous fashion] a relationship with a previously very loyal customer. I’m currently on the final connecting flight of my journey from Boston to San Francisco, and this will be the last Delta flight in which I ever partake. The storm system that caused massive disruptions, delays, and cancellations through Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) International Airport last night truly put you to the test, and you’ve failed miserably in the way of customer service. Over the past two days, what should have been a three hour layover in MSP airport turned into a 15 hour overnight stay, equipped with a cancelled flight and no form of hotel voucher or monetary compensation for food/lodging. I personally don’t take too much pity on myself, and wouldn’t expect that of anyone else; I’m a 27 year old single male with only myself to care for. If I have to spend a night in an airport, so be it. Yet last night, you treated all of your customers with equal and horrid distaste. Twenty-something year-old single travelers, families with small children, elderly citizens in wheelchairs – we’re all the same, apparently. What of the mother standing directly in front of me in the rebooking line, traveling with her young daughter (no more than three years old)? Was she granted a simple hotel voucher when she inquired of one? No. She was holding her sleeping daughter in her arms as she asked for this small consolation, and your representative explained that it was not possible. Your rationale: Delta is not held liable to provide temporary accommodations for delays and cancellations out of your control (i.e. due to inclement weather). This policy is outrageous. If you have customers, especially those with young and tired children, stranded in the airport overnight, you need to do something about it. I personally held no ill will toward your employees, as this was entirely out of their control. Some were in fact quite pleasant and helped in the best way that they could. That can’t dismiss the fact that your policies for accommodation and compensation are completely devoid of any aspect of genuine customer service. These are horrendous systematic flaws derived from the top of the hierarchy, and you must correct them. Not for my sake; our relationship is severed beyond repair. I, along with many other disgruntled customers from the past two days, no longer will fly with you ever again. Consider this letter a favor to you [for the retention of your still loyal clientele], strongly suggesting for you to change your policies. Elsewise, countless others will continue to abandon your abhorrent services in droves. While the handsome compensation package of Welch’s gummy bears was quite tasty, somehow it seems you could’ve offered a bit more than cookies and fruit snacks – perhaps a bed… perhaps a shower… This shall go down as truly the most unforgettable airline experience in my young life, and I’m sure many others from this ordeal will agree. Here’s hoping that you change your ways, but knowing that you probably won’t.

Best regards,

Dave

P.S. Below you’ll find some captioned photos from the overnight stay in MSP.

After the flight cancellations on the night of July 5th, the rebooking lines were stationed by only two customer service representatives.